TL;DR: Our 2026 strategic plan is out (see below) and there’s a ton of work to do. It’s only possible thanks to folks like you. Can you help by starting a monthly gift today?

John,

Trump is back, dismantling democracy. Washington is a mess. And too many Democrats are still stuck thinking the answer will come from the top of the ballot.

At Run for Something, we’re focused on what actually works: building power from the bottom up—everywhere, on purpose, at scale.

We just finalized our 2026 strategic plan. There’s lots of great programming coming your way. But here’s what matters most right now:

• Recruit tens of thousands of new candidates—especially in rural areas, among women, and across Gen Z—so fewer races go uncontested and more communities have a real choice.

• Endorse and deeply support at least 300 candidates for school boards, city councils, and state legislatures. These are the offices that actually shape people’s daily lives.

• Expand the map in long-shot places so we’re not scrambling when redistricting hits and the battleground shifts in 2030 and beyond.

• Create reverse coattails by helping trusted local leaders win now. That’ll help boost turnout and set up future wins for governorships and Congress.

• Endorse independents as needed when party labels get in the way of winning.

Are you game, John? This work will take steady, reliable support from our community of monthly donors. Can we count you in?

Why we know our strategy works:

• We’ve helped elect 1,600+ millennial and Gen Z leaders in 49 states.

• Our pipeline includes more than 250,000 people exploring what it would take to run—the biggest list of potential leaders anywhere in politics.

• Candidates who come through Run for Something are twice as likely to win.

• Every RFS candidate adds an estimated 800 up-ballot votes, one of the most cost-effective power-building models in politics.

• Our bench is rising: six RFS alums are running for Senate, six for governor, and dozens more for Congress and statewide office. Many will win. Hell yeah.

In 2026, while everyone else is glued to cable news and congressional drama, our candidates will be out fixing roads, lowering utility bills, protecting libraries, and showing voters what good governance actually looks like.

I want you to be a part of this work in a big way. Will you start a monthly gift today to help fuel Run for Something’s groundbreaking efforts for the year ahead?

Monthly gifts are how we:

• Recruit year-round, not just during election season

• Say yes to candidates early (when support matters most)

• Scale coaching, tools, and mentorship to meet the moment

Start your gift now, please.

With your help, we’re going to take full advantage of this important moment.

Thanks for being in this with us,

Sara Hadad

Chief Strategy Officer

Run for Something

P.S. Our entire budget for this work is $8.2 million, which is less than a single competitive House race. Your monthly gift can make a big dent in the cost.

We change the system by changing who’s in it. We start local, build the bench, and shape the future from the bottom up. Together, we’ve already helped win over 1,000 elections.

This work is made possible thanks to thousands of grassroots donors who give a little each month to fuel big change. Become a monthly donor today and help our candidates keep running—and winning.

Photo Credit: Charles Edward Miller from Chicago, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

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